The kairō and the rōmon were among the most important among the garan elements which appeared during the Heian period.[2] The first surrounded the holiest part of the garan, while the second was its main exit. Neither was originally characteristic of Shinto shrines, but in time they often came to replace the traditional shrine surrounding fence called tamagaki.[2] The earliest example of a kairō/rōmon complex can be found at Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū, a shrine now but a former shrine-temple (神宮寺).[3] The rōmon is believed to have been built in 886, and the kairō roughly at the same time. Itsukushima Jinja is an example of the mature form of the complex.

Two types of kairō exist, one 1-bay wide and another 2-bay wide, the bay being the space between two pillars. The first is by far the most common.

The 2-bay wide type is supported by three rows of pillars, is called fukurō (複廊,lit. multiple corridors) and is divided in two identical corridors by a wall (see model in the gallery). Although it is known that several existed at major Buddhist temples, for example at Tōdai-ji, none is extant.[4] Some fukurō survive however at Shinto shrines.

1.
Buddhist temples in Japan
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Buddhist temples are, together with Shinto shrines, considered to be among the most numerous, famous, and important religious buildings in Japan. The Japanese word for a Buddhist temple is tera, and the same kanji also has the pronunciation ji, another ending, -in, is normally used to refer to minor temples. Such famous temples as Kiyomizu-dera, Enryaku-ji, and Kōtoku-in illustrate this naming pattern, in Japan, Buddhist temples co-exist with Shinto shrines, and both share the basic features of Japanese traditional architecture. Some shrines, for example Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū, have a Buddhist-style main gate called sōmon, many temples have a temizuya and komainu, like a shrine. Conversely, some make use of incense or have a shōrō belltower. Others – for example, Tanzan Jinja in Nara – may even have a pagoda, similarities between temples and shrines are also functional. Like a shrine, a Buddhist temple is not primarily a place of worship, its most important buildings are used for the safekeeping of sacred objects, unlike a Christian church, a temple is also a monastery. There are specialized buildings for certain rites, but these are open only to a limited number of participants. Religious mass gatherings do not take place with regularity as with Christian religions, if many people are involved in a ceremony, it will assume a festive character and will be held outdoors. The reason for the structural resemblances between the two lies in their common history. It is in fact normal for a temple to have also a shrine. Shrines enshrining local kami existed long before the arrival of Buddhism, with the arrival of Buddhism in Japan in the 6th century, shrines were subjected to its influence and adopted both the concept of permanent structures and the architecture of Buddhist temples. The successive development of shinbutsu-shūgō and of the honji suijaku theory brought to the almost complete fusion of kami worship and it became normal for shrines to be accompanied by temples in mixed complexes called jingū-ji or miyadera. The opposite was also common, most temples had at least a shrine dedicated to its tutelary kami. As a consequence, for centuries shrines and temples had a relationship where each influenced the other. The clear separation between Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, which today is the norm, emerges only as a result of the shinbutsu bunri law of 1868. This separation was mandated by law, and many shrine-temples were forced to become just shrines, among them famous ones like Usa Hachiman-gū and Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū. For example, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gūs giant Niō, being objects of Buddhist worship and therefore illegal where they were, were sold to Jufuku-ji, the shrine-temple also had to destroy Buddhism-related buildings, for example its tahōtō, its midō, and its shichidō garan

2.
Main Hall (Japanese Buddhism)
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Main hall is the term used in English for the building within a Japanese Buddhist temple compound which enshrines the main object of veneration. Because the various denominations deliberately use different terms, this single English term translates several Japanese words, among them Butsuden, Butsu-dō, kondō, konpon-chūdō, and hondō. Hondō is its exact Japanese equivalent, while the others are more specialized words used by particular sects or for edifices having a particular structure, the term kondō, literally golden hall, started to be used during the Asuka and Nara periods. A kondō is the centerpiece of an ancient Buddhist temples garan in Japan, the origin of the name is uncertain, but it may derive from the perceived preciousness of its content, or from the fact that the interior was lined with gold. This is the used by the oldest temples in the country. The second story has the dimensions as the temples core at the first story. Some temples, for example Asuka-dera or Hōryū-ji, have more than one kondō, because of its limited size, worshipers were not allowed to enter the building and had to stand outside. The kondō and a pagoda were usually surrounded by a corridor called kairō, the use of kondō declined after the 10th century, when it was replaced by a hondō divided in naijin and gejin. The term remained in use even up to the Edo period. The term hondō, literally means hall and it enshrines the most important objects of veneration. The term is thought to have evolved during the 9th century to avoid the early term kondō and it became common after the introduction of the two Mikkyo sects to Japan. Various new types of buildings, including the hondō, were built during the Heian period. Different buildings were called hondō depending on the sect, for example, the kondō, the chudō, mieidō, a notable evolution of the hondō during this period is the inclusion of a space for worshipers inside the hondō itself, called gejin. Other names such as Konpon-chūdō, literally cardinal central hall are used as well, the Tokugawa funeral temple of Kanei-ji, which had been built explicitly to imitate Enryaku-ji, also had one, though it has not survived. Yama-dera in Yamagata is another example of a temple using this name, the Butsuden or Butsu-dō, literally Buddha Hall, is the main hall of Zen temples of schools such as the Sōtō 曹洞 and Rinzai 臨済. This architectonic style arrived together with Zen during the Kamakura period and it is also known that during the 13th and 14th centuries very large butsuden measuring 5x5 bays square having a mokoshi were built, but none survives. Large size 3x3 bay butsuden with a mokoshi however still exist, in the case of the Ōbaku Zen school that arrived late in Japan, the architecture retained the Ming Chinese style. The hondō of Ōbaku Zen temples is usually called daiyū-hōden, literally ‘the Treasured Hall of the Mahāvīra ’, an example can be found at Mampuku-ji

3.
Japanese pagoda
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Pagodas in Japan are called tō, sometimes buttō or tōba and historically derive from the Chinese pagoda, itself an interpretation of the Indian stupa. Like the stupa, pagodas were originally used as reliquaries but in many cases ended up losing this function. The famous Itsukushima Shrine, for example, has one, after the Meiji Restoration the word tō, once used exclusively in a religious context, came to mean also tower in the western sense, as for example in Eiffel tower. Of the Japanese pagodas many forms, some are built in wood and are known as mokutō. Wood pagodas are large buildings with two stories or an odd number of stories. Extant wood pagodas with more than two storeys have almost always either three storeys or five (and are called gojū-no-tō, stone pagodas are nearly always small, usually well below 3 metres, and as a rule offer no usable space. If they have more than one storey, pagodas are called tasōtō or tajūtō, a pagodas size is measured in ken, where a ken is the interval between two pillars of a traditional-style building. A tahōtō for example can be either 5x5 ken or 3x3 ken, the word is usually translated in English as bay and is better understood as an indication of proportions than as a unit of measurement. The stupa was originally a simple mound containing the Buddhas ashes which in time more elaborate. After reaching China, the stupa met the Chinese watchtower and evolved into the pagoda and its use then spread to Korea and, from there, to Japan. Following its arrival in Japan together with Buddhism in the 6th century, in Japan it evolved in shape, size and function, finally losing its original role as a reliquary. It also became common, while on the Asian continent it is rare. With the birth of new sects in later centuries, the pagoda lost importance and was relegated to the margins of the garan. Temples of the Jōdo sects rarely have a pagoda, during the Kamakura period the Zen sect arrived in Japan and their temples do not normally include a pagoda. Pagodas originally were reliquaries and did not contain sacred images, but in Japan many, for example Hōryū-jis five-storied pagoda, in that room are enshrined statues of the temples main objects of worship. Inside Shingon pagodas there can be paintings of deities called Shingon Hasso, on the ceiling and on the shaft there can be decorations. The edge of a pagodas eaves forms a line, with each following edge being shorter than the other. The more difference in length between stories, the solid and secure the pagoda seems to be

4.
Shinto shrine
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A Shinto shrine is a structure whose main purpose is to house one or more Shinto kami. Its most important building is used for the safekeeping of sacred objects, structurally, a Shinto shrine is usually characterized by the presence of a honden or sanctuary, where the kami is enshrined. The honden may however be completely absent, as for example when the stands on a sacred mountain to which it is dedicated. There may be a haiden and other structures as well, however, a shrines most important building is used for the safekeeping of sacred objects rather than for worship. Miniature shrines can occasionally be found on roadsides, large shrines sometimes have on their precincts miniature shrines. The portable shrines which are carried on poles during festivals enshrine kami and are therefore true shrines. in 927 CE and this work listed all of the 2,861 Shinto shrines existing at the time, and the 3,131 official-recognized and enshrined Kami. Certainly, that number has grown and greatly exceeded this figure through the following generations, in Agency for Cultural Affairs in Japan placed the number of shrines at 79,467, mostly affiliated with the Association of Shinto Shrines. Some shrines, such as the Yasukuni Shrine are totally independent of any outside authority, the number of Shinto shrines in Japan is estimated to be around 100,000. This figure may, or may not, include private shrines in homes and owned by groups, abandoned or derelict shrines. Ancestors are kami to be worshiped, yayoi-period village councils sought the advice of ancestors and other kami, and developed instruments to evoke them. Yoshishiro means approach substitute and were conceived to attract the kami to allow them physical space, village-council sessions were held in quiet spots in the mountains or in forests near great trees or other natural objects that served as yorishiro. These sacred places and their yorishiro gradually evolved into todays shrines, whose origins can be seen in the Japanese words for mountain and forest. Many shrines have on their grounds one of the original great yorishiro, the first buildings at places dedicated to worship were surely huts built to house some yorishiro. A trace of this origin can be found in the term hokura, deity storehouse, which evolved into hokora, true shrines arose with the beginning of agriculture, when the need arose to attract kami to ensure good harvests. These were, however, just temporary structures built for a particular purpose, Ōmiwa Shrine in Nara, for example, contains no sacred images or objects because it is believed to serve the mountain on which it stands. Those images or objects are therefore unnecessary, for the same reason, it has a worship hall but no place to house the kami. Archeology confirms that, during the Yayoi period, the most common shintai in the earliest shrines were nearby mountain peaks that supplied water to the plains where people lived. Besides the already mentioned Ōmiwa Shrine, another important example is Mount Nantai, significantly, the name Nantai means mans body

5.
Itsukushima Shrine
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Itsukushima Shrine is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima, best known for its floating torii gate. It is in the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan, the shrine complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Japanese government has designated several buildings and possessions as National Treasures. Itsukushima jinja was the chief Shinto shrine of Aki Province, the shrine has been destroyed several times, but the first shrine buildings were probably erected in the 6th century. The present shrine dates from the century, and is believed to follow an earlier design from the 12th century. That design was established in 1168, when funds were provided by the warlord Taira no Kiyomori, the shrine was devoted to the worship of goddesses to whom Kiyomori owed thanks, he felt, for his success in life. Originally it was a pure Shinto shrine where no births or deaths were allowed to cause pollution and its treasures include the celebrated Heike Nōkyō, or Sutras dedicated by the Taira House of Taira. These consist of scrolls, on which the Lotus and other sutras have been copied by Kiyomori, his sons. Kiyomori lavished great wealth upon Itsukushima, and he liked to show the place to his friends and colleagues, or even to royal personages. The shrine was designed and built on pier-like structures over the bay so that it would appear to be floating on the water, separate from the sacred island, near the main shrine is a noh stage which dates from 1590. Noh theater performances have long used to pay homage to the gods through the ritual acting out of key events in Shinto myth. Although a gate has been in place since 1168, the current gate dates back only to 1875, the gate, built of decay-resistant camphor wood, is about 16 metres high. The torii appears to be floating only at high tide, when the tide is low, it is approachable by foot from the island. Gathering shellfish near the gate is also popular at low tide, at night, powerful lights on the shore illuminate the torii. On September 5,2004, the shrine was damaged by Typhoon Songda. The boardwalks and roof were destroyed, and the shrine was temporarily closed for repairs. The shrine is dedicated to the three daughters of Susano-o no Mikoto, Shinto god of seas and storms, and brother of the sun goddess Amaterasu. Because the island itself has been considered sacred, commoners were not allowed to set foot on it much of its history to maintain its purity. To allow pilgrims to approach, the shrine was built like a pier over the water, so that it appeared to float, the red entrance gate, or torii, was built over the water for much the same reason

6.
Yakushi-ji
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Yakushi-ji is one of the most famous imperial and ancient Buddhist temples in Japan, that was once one of the Seven Great Temples of Nanto, located in Nara. The temple is the headquarters of the Hossō school of Japanese Buddhism, Yakushi-ji is one of the sites that are collectively inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, under the name of Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara. The main object of veneration, Yakushi Nyorai, also named The Medicine Buddha, was one of the first Buddhist Deities to arrive in Japan from China in 680, and gives the temple its name. This act of building temples in devotion to Buddhist figures was a practice among Japanese nobility when Buddhism was first imported from China. It has been believed that the temple was moved to its present location in 718. However, excavations of the Fujiwara-kyō Yakushi-ji site in the 1990s suggest that there may have been two Yakushi-ji at one time, the Fujiwara-kyō Yakushi-ji is also referred to as Moto Yakushi-ji. Fires destroyed most buildings of the complex in 973, and the hall in 1528. Much hard work has put into restoration, the main hall was rebuilt in the 1970s. The East Pagoda, completed in 730 during the Nara period, is the only original 8th-century structure at Yakushi-ji, the structure stands at 34 metres, and is regarded as one of the finest pagodas in Japan, representing Hakuhō to Tenpyō period architecture. The East Pagoda has just three stories, but seems to have six because of the presence of inter-storey pent roofs, the structure is topped by a distinctive globe-shaped finial. The East Pagoda was disassembled for repair work from 1898-1900, the central pillar of the pagoda had corroded, and edges of the eaves of the pagoda had sagged. A seven-storey scaffold completely surrounds the East Tower, and repair work will continue to 2018, yakushi-jis layout is symmetrical, with two main halls and two three-story pagodas. The unique layout is sometimes referred to as yakushiji-style. Bussokusekika Shinbashira, the central, usually suspended wooden column inside Nanto Shichi Daiji, Yakushi-ji Homepage Yakushiji Temple, from The Official Nara Travel Guide Yakushiji - An Imperial Healer Japan Guide Yakushiji Annual Events Photos of Yakushiji

7.
Hase-dera
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Hase-dera is the main temple of the Buzan sect of Shingon Buddhism. The temple is located in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, Japan, the Main Hall is a National Treasure of Japan. Later, in the year 727, the temple was expanded by order of Emperor Shōmu, the temple has been burned down and rebuilt as many as ten times since the 10th century. During the Heian period the temple was favored by members of the nobility such as the authors of the Kagerō Nikki, Hase-dera was consistently popular with visitors, helped by the fact it was situated on what was then the route to the Ise Shrine. Later still, Hase-dera flourished as one of the centers of the reformed Shingon Buddhism, the current Main Hall is a reconstruction of 1650 built using donations from Tokugawa Iemitsu. A covered wooden staircase,200 metres long, leads to the Hall from the Niō Gate, the lower panel features 27 lines of inscription that is boarded by two guardian gods. The Hokke Sutra The Niōmon, The Niō are present at the gates of many Japanese Buddhist temples and these statues are protectors of the temple, and can be thought of in English as two benevolent kings. These statues lend their name to the gate of the temple, the Nio have a threatening appearance in order to discourage demons and thieves. The Shōrō, In 1984 the original bell was replaced, and the original was placed in the treasure hall The Staircase, The staircase is made up of 399 small stone steps, and is around 200 meters long. Pilgrims who visit the temple believe that when walking the staircase it help to get rid of the 108 illusions that they lead to all human suffering. This statue depicts one of the most popular Deities in Japan and these faces are made up of one primary face and 10 secondary and are said to allow Kannon to see all around, in case anyone is in need of her assistance. Nara Mahoroba Somurie Kentei Official Textbook, yama to Keikoku sha. p.129. Pamphlet distributed by Hase-dera on site, Hasedera Photos of Hasedera Temple Hase Tourist Association

8.
Japanese architecture
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Japanese architecture has traditionally been typified by wooden structures, elevated slightly off the ground, with tiled or thatched roofs. Sliding doors were used in place of walls, allowing the configuration of a space to be customized for different occasions. People usually sat on cushions or otherwise on the floor, traditionally, chairs, the earliest Japanese architecture was seen in prehistoric times in simple pit-houses and stores that were not adapted to a hunter-gatherer population. Influence from Han Dynasty China via Korea saw the introduction of more complex grain stores, the introduction of Buddhism in Japan during the sixth century was a catalyst for large-scale temple building using complicated techniques in wood. Influence from the Chinese Tang and Sui Dynasties led to the foundation of the first permanent capital in Nara and its checkerboard street layout used the Chinese capital of Changan as a template for its design. A gradual increase in the size of buildings led to units of measurement as well as refinements in layout. The introduction of the tea ceremony emphasised simplicity and modest design as a counterpoint to the excesses of the aristocracy, during the Meiji Restoration of 1868 the history of Japanese architecture was radically changed by two important events. Second, it was then that Japan underwent a period of intense Westernization in order to compete with developed countries. Initially architects and styles from abroad were imported to Japan but gradually the country taught its own architects, Architects returning from study with western architects introduced the International Style of modernism into Japan. Much in the architecture of Japan is not native, but was imported from China. First of all is the choice of materials, always wood in various forms for almost all structures, unlike both Western and some Chinese architecture, the use of stone is avoided except for certain specific uses, for example temple podia and pagoda foundations. The general structure is almost always the same, posts and lintels support a large and gently curved roof, while the walls are paper-thin, often movable, arches and barrel roofs are completely absent. Gable and eave curves are gentler than in China and columnar entasis limited, the roof is the most visually impressive component, often constituting half the size of the whole edifice. The slightly curved eaves extend far beyond the walls, covering verandas, simpler solutions are adopted in domestic structures. The oversize eaves give the interior a characteristic dimness, which contributes to the buildings atmosphere, the interior of the building normally consists of a single room at the center called moya, from which depart any other less important spaces. Inner space divisions are fluid, and room size can be modified through the use of screens or movable paper walls, the large, single space offered by the main hall can therefore be divided according to the need. For example, some walls can be removed and different rooms joined temporarily to make space for some more guests, the separation between inside and outside is itself in some measure not absolute as entire walls can be removed, opening a residence or temple to visitors. Verandas appear to be part of the building to an outsider, structures are therefore made to a certain extent part of their environment

9.
Minka
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Minka are vernacular houses constructed in any one of several traditional Japanese building styles. In the context of the four divisions of society, minka were the dwellings of farmers, artisans and this connotation no longer exists in the modern Japanese language, and any traditional Japanese-style residence of an appropriate age could be referred to as minka. Minka are characterised by their structure, their roof structure. Minka developed through history with distinctive styles emerging in the Edo period, the term minka literally means houses of the people. It covers houses that accommodated a wide variety of people from farmers to village headmen, merchants, Minka come in a wide range of styles and sizes, largely as a result of differing geographic and climatic conditions as well as the lifestyle of the inhabitants. They generally fall into one of four classifications, farmhouses nōka town houses machiya, fishermens dwellings gyoka, unlike other forms of Japanese architecture, it is the structure rather than the plan that is of primary importance to the minka. Minka are divided up with primary posts that form the framework and bear the structural load of the building. Despite the wide variety of minka, there are eight basic forms, the inverted U consists of two vertical posts fixed at the top with a horizontal beam, these units can then be joined with side girders. The beam can be fixed to the top of the post either by resting upon it or via a mortise and this latter method is often found in minka on the island of Shikoku. The ladder has post and beam units connected with larger beams including beams that are closer to the foundation level and this form of structure originated in townhouses of the Edo period. The system allows the placement of posts and, therefore. With the umbrella style, four beams radiate out from a central post and these posts sit at the centre of the square rather than the corners. Minka of this type are found in Shiga Prefecture. The cross has two beams at right angles to one another with the posts in the centre of the sides and it is often used for very small minka that have no other posts erected in the space or for large minka in the earth-floored area. The style is most often found in Shiga and Fukui prefectures, parallel crosses are found in Shizuoka Prefecture and cover an area 5 metres by 10 metres. This system doubles up the structure with two crosses and eight posts. The box structure connects four or more post and beam units to create a box-like structure and it was devised in the Edo period and can be found in Toyama and Ishikawa prefectures. The interconnected box can be found in Kyoto and Osaka, rising beams is a form that enables better use of the second storey

A Shinto shrine (神社, jinja, archaic: shinsha, meaning: "place of the god(s)") is a structure whose main purpose is to …

Two women praying in front of a shrine

Mount Nantai, worshiped at Futarasan Shrine, has the shape of the phallic stone rods found in pre-agricultural Jōmon sites.

An example of jingū-ji:Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū-ji in an old drawing. In the foreground the shrine-temple's Buddhist structures (not extant), among them a pagoda, a belltower and a niōmon. The shrine (extant) is above.